No Room For Reds Where Secrecy Needed

Chronicle (Levin), 24 August 1949, Page 3

No Room For Reds Where Secrecy Needed

' WELLINGTON, August 23. "The Government has always stood and still stands for fullest politicai rights for all employees and there is no proposal from any member of the Government to alter that position," said the Prime Minister, Mr. - Fraser, at the annual meeting of the Public Service Association today. Communi'sm of the Moscow brand, said Mr. Fraser, was another matter and the Government would nqt r permit those holding to such principles ' to occupy positioFs where Vthey ' might ;do, Fai'jii" to their country, for with tliem loyalty to their country did not come lirst. Nevertheless, while standing firmiy for the fullest politicai rights for public servants, it might be foolish for a very highly plaeed offiecf to identify himself with a politicai party, said the Prime Minster, who... eited difficulties. which had arispn in Australia whep/tlie Leader of the Oppositiqn, Mr.' Menzies, had stated that if lie were returned to office >he could have no con - fidence in a senior public servant who had declared himself against him. However, nothing of that sort had occurred in New Zealand and he did not see a likelihood of it in Ihe future. He saw no diliiculties or any dangeT to tlie State if full rights of civil servants continued as they were now. Nor was there any intentiou of the abolition of the right of appeal. Politicai rights covered soeialism, nationalism and toryism in varying degrees but those who proclaimed such principles were lirst 'loyal to their country. The (Jom- , iiiunists, who took their principles from Moscow, were not loyal to their cunU'y what had happened in Canada had proved that. . "We certainly will not permit anyone holding those doctrines to occupy a position in the military forces, in scientilic research, in the Externai Afjfairs Departiuent or anywhere else .where they may be entrusted with secret inf ormation, ' ' lie said. "That iloes not mean that they will be debarred from earning a living but they

"will not be permitted in positions which demand loyalty and where theref is a risk that they may do harm to the country i " If it should be uecessa./ said Mr. Fraser, the Government would enact legislation to make it perfectly cleai that Communists should not occupy posts where they might do . harm tlirough dis loyalty.